The fastest growing YouTube channel on our radar
The Brand Brief 5.27.26: AOC, Britney Spears, James Talarico, Jacob Frey, Spencer Pratt, Hasan Piker, Jaxson Dart, and JD Vance
Actionable media intel: The Brand Brief delivers a daily snapshot of the conservative media ecosystem - FOX News, podcasts, and more. | Brought to you by On Brand Strategies | Written by Carly Moran and Nathan Brand
📣 Driving the Conversation…
1,660 words | 7 minute read | Written to be skimmable (12+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Meets the moment
New Media Voices: Healthmaxxing, Spencer Pratt, and Britney Spears
Leading FOX: FIFA World Cup, Mamdani, and anti-fraud efforts
Trending: ICE Protests and Israel
What the Right is Writing: Texas and AOC
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Pastor Josh Howerton of Texas’s Lakepointe Church has the fastest-growing YouTube channel among the 100+ largest conservative and faith shows we track.
In the past three months, the show added about 200,000 subscribers and will cross the one million mark any day now.
The evangelical megachurch pastor launched the “Live Free with Josh Howerton” podcast on the church’s YouTube channel a year ago. Not a typical church podcast, the show blends sermons, culture commentary, and political insight (he’s not a fan of James Talarico’s false teaching).
Howerton’s show meets the moment as conservative political shows look more like faith shows, and faith shows adopt the edge of political shows. Howerton is an incredible communicator, and the show is well worth watching. - NRB
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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 5/26
Kelly and journalists Rich Lowry and Charles C.W. Cooke lambast MN Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for prioritizing George Floyd, Sen. Andy Kim for prioritizing illegals on Memorial Day over fallen troops
They assert the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots constituted domestic terror, causing more damage than January 6th
Kelly mocks AOC 2028 rumors for her inauthenticity and lack of knowledge, and notes the overwhelming lack of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris’ potential bid
She condemns California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer’s use of suicide statistics to justify transgender athlete inclusion
The panel discusses a potential Iran peace deal, contrasting it with the Obama administration’s approach and expressing hope
The Matt Walsh Show - 5/26
Walsh critiques healthmaxxing as an obsessive fad which ultimately fosters fragility rather than genuine well-being
He condemns Steven Bartlett and Andrew Huberman as spreading misleading exaggerations about moderate consumption
He criticizes wearable health trackers for fostering anxiety by promoting obsessive tracking, creating self-fulfilling prophecies
Walsh challenges the extreme pursuit of longevity, exemplified by Bryan Johnson, advocating for a balanced life and openness to risk
Walsh contrasts modern men with historical figures like the Founding Fathers who achieved greatness despite “suboptimal health habits”
The Isabel Brown Show - 5/26
Brown argues Spencer Pratt’s Los Angeles mayoral campaign stands out for leveraging viral videos, TikTok, and AI-generated content
She critiques current city leadership, including Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, for policy causing homelessness and crime
Brown says she has evolved from a California hater to believing LA is worth saving, inspired by Pratt’s campaign
She hopes AI can be used as a net positive, citing Pratt’s advertisements as an example, in light of Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas
Brown laughs about non-Californians voting for Pratt as a “gotcha” against Democrats’ voter ID stance
The Brett Cooper Show - 5/26
Cooper asserts the “Free Britney” movement failed Britney Spears, whose post-conservatorship struggles, including a DUI and public knife incidents, prove she lost crucial protection rather than gained freedom
Cooper presents Spencer Pratt’s direct approach to Los Angeles’ homelessness and mental illness crisis as a model
New York Post columnist Bethany Mandel argues legal restrictions like conservatorships offer compassionate protection
Cooper advocates for re-establishing asylums and strict intervention, arguing true compassion for severe mental illness and addiction requires structure
Timcast IRL - 5/26
Pool labels New York City’s proposed property seizure plan as a consequence of policies making landlord operations impossible
The panel reacts to Hasan Piker implicating tech company Singham as being tied to China after he was subpoenaed for a Cuba trip
Guests Jake Rattlesnake and Adam Johnson attribute America’s societal decline to social media’s impact on youth and bad parenting
Looking at Japan and South Korea as warnings, the panel says modern dating and girl boss culture is only further contributing to declining birth rates and Social Security’s impending insolvency
In other news, the panel addresses Ken Paxton’s win in Texas, how woke content fails financially in Hollywood, and concerns about AI manipulating politics
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
President Trump says Iran negotiations are “proceeding nicely,” senior official reports there will be “no dust or no deal” referencing air strikes
Protesters screamed at a Newark, NJ ICE facility over Memorial Day weekend, Sen. Andy Kim and NY Gov. Kathy Hochul joined
Graham Platner uses the Sen. Bernie Sanders boost in his Maine campaign
Comedian Drew Carey tries to slam LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt as a “serial scammer”
FOX & Friends
Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn in the Texas senate runoff primary, will face Democrat James Talarico in November
Israeli forces hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, President Trump hosts a cabinet meeting today on an Iranian peace deal, Iran begins restoring internet access
Both Jewish and Muslim activists accuse NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani of promoting a radical form of Islam, meanwhile he threatens to forcibly take away property ownership of negligent landlords
A single dose of Verve-102 under trial has proven to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by up to 62%
VP JD Vance hosts the first antifraud roundtable, with many Democrats attorneys general refusing to attend the bipartisan meeting
U.S. men’s soccer team members are interviewed on the release of the FIFA World Cup roster
LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt accuses his incumbent opponent Karen Bass of campaigning within 100 feet of a ballot box
Gold Star Wife Sharrell Anne Shaw thanks strangers on the internet for visiting her husband at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, including outgoing DNI Tulsi Gabbard
Seattle resident build street barricades to fight nighttime speeding
The USDA invests in a protein access program for poor communities
Protesters clash at an ICE facility in Newark, NJ, including Democrat politicians like NY Gov. Kathy Hochul
A South American group of burglars targeting professional athletes has been arrested in Argentina
FOX Newsroom
US-Iran peace talks reach their critical stage, with the Strait of Hormuz and uranium enrichment being the main focus
A mob attempted to prevent cars from leaving a Newark, NJ ICE facility, DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin condemns Democrat politicians for attending the protests
Trump-endorsed Kevin Paxton wins the Texas senate primary, will face off against Democrat James Talarico in November
VP JD Vance announces billions in stolen government benefits through the fraud prevention taskforce, Indiana AG Todd Rokita reacts
Cuban officials try to claim Sec. of State Marco Rubio has no true evidence of their country being a threat to the U.S.
The DOJ is suing again over past reports of antisemitism at UCLA
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart faces cancellation over introducing President Trump at a football game
Seattle neighbors build barricades to protect their streets from gunfire
Some data center protesters may be getting paid by China
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
ICE protests and blockade in NJ turn violent [X, Scooter]
Samuel L Jackson’s endorsement of Karen Bass hits different on Skid Row. [X, Dalton]
“We’ll transition from treating property as an individual good to a collective good. Whites especially will be impacted.” - Cea Weaver, NYC’s tenant director [X, End Wokeness]
Reminder: Talarico missed over 800 votes while working in the Texas State Legislature. [X, RNC Research]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Cornyn falls in bitter Texas Senate Republican runoff [FOX News]
Iran’s forces ‘lying in wait’ if Trump restarts combat [FOX News]
Purple Heart vet rips ‘communist’ Platner after he refuses to apologize [FOX News]
Breitbart
Trump-Backed Ken Paxton Defeats Incumbent John Cornyn in Texas Landslide [Breitbart]
U.S. Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran Hitting Missile Sites, Minelaying Boats [Breitbart]
Far-Left AOC May Be Moving Toward 2028 Run for President [Breitbart]
‘Death to America’: Khamenei Warns U.S. Forces ‘Won’t Have a Safe Haven’ [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Iran’s ‘Skirmish’ Strategy in the Strait [WSJ Ed]
The Ken Paxton Republicans [WSJ Ed]
A Bipartisan Housing Fiasco [WSJ Ed]
A Union Dues Rebellion in Chicago [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Spencer Pratt launches all-out war on Karen Bass over diabolical LA roads — and exposes $100M that vanished overnight [NYP]
Mamdani’s grocery store site already got $25M in NYC taxpayer funds years ago — setting stage for $55M boondoggle [NYP]
Furries take over legendary warship that defeated the Japanese and recovered Apollo 11 [NYP]
Inside luxurious, ultra-private island where Don Jr. wed — and surprising number of guests revealed [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Harvard Gives $90,000-a-Year Fellowships to Four Anti-Israel Activists [WFB]
NEED HELP NAVIGATING CONSERVATIVE MEDIA?
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